Five of the best Great British foodstuffs

In Great British Food Revival, a new BBC Two documentary series, various
celebrity chefs champion Britain's neglected foods.

Here are five of the nation's staples, which the chefs feel are under-appreciated.

Apples

The apple is the UK’s biggest selling fruit. There were once around 1,500 different varieties in the UK; today we only really eat three of these and tend to favour “manufactured” apples – i.e. the ones that look a lot shinier and less flawed. Many of the older varieties of apples have a stronger, sharper taste but we’re so used to eating the modified versions that our taste buds have changed. We import around 60 per cent of the apples we see in the shops. British heritage apples such as the Bramley (the traditional type of which is a lot smaller) can be found at farmers’ markets. Apples are championed on the series by James Martin.

Bread

There’s nothing quite like warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven home-baked bread but “real” bread – made by hand and not in a machine – is economical and easy to make, though many people tend to opt for store-bought varieties, which are actually full of preservatives and are often re-heated from frozen in store. The sandwich was named after the 18th-century English aristocrat John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, who was fond of the form of food because it allowed him to continue playing cards while eating. Proper bread is championed by Michel Roux Jr.

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The cauliflower has fallen out of fashion in recent years as people have favoured green vegetables such as broccoli. It doesn’t have the greatest reputation but the cauliflower is a healthy British product and is high in anti-oxidants and vitamins. Dishes such as cauliflower cheese make it a versatile ingredient. Championed by The Hairy Bikers.

Potatoes

The potato has featured in Briton’s diets for nearly 500 years and was a wartime staple. Different potatoes have very different flavours, textures, colours and shapes. British heritage potatoes are unique and they have individual cooking qualities: some are waxy, some floury. But modern-day varieties, such as the Maris Piper, have taken over from traditional breeds since their high crop yield makes them more commercially viable. Championed by Gregg Wallace.

Pork

Every part of the pig can be eaten, from the nose to the tail, but the British pork industry could die within a decade as supermarkets and customers turn to cheaper imported meat since British pork is more expensive and our farmers subscribe to higher standards of welfare. There are 14 breeds of pig in the UK including Gloucestershire Old Spots, the Middle White, and the Tamworth – the oldest pure English breed - and 400 varieties of the good old “British Banger”, many named after the places they were originally made. Championed by Clarissa Dickson Wright.

Great British Food Revival starts on BBC Two on Wednesday 9 March at 8.00pm